Jonas Maleiro Savimbi (born 03.08.34 in Portuguese Angola - died 02.22.02 near Lucussa, ibid.) - politician, leader of the partisan insurgent movement, acting against the pro-Soviet government of Angola.
short biography
The son of the head of the railway station, Zhonash Savimbi, studied at missionary schools and received a scholarship to study abroad. He studied medicine at the University of Lisbon in Portugal, and then received his doctorate in political science from the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1965.
At that time, Africa on the world map mainly consisted of colonies of European states - France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Great Britain, Spain and Portugal. The colony of the latter was the homeland of Jonash. In 1961, Savimbi joined Holden Roberto, leader of the Independence Movement of the People’s Union of Angola (UPA), a rival to the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA, the Marxist-Leninist "working" party). He broke with the leader of the UPA in 1966 and formed the National Union for the Full Independence of Angola (UNITA), which fought against Portuguese colonial rule.
Africa on the map of world geopolitics
In 1965, Savimbi decided to form his own movement and began to seek support. She came from China, where he and some of his lieutenants were invited to a nine-month guerrilla warfare course. In Beijing, the leader of UNITA met Mao Zedong and other military, as well as the political leadership of the Chinese revolution. Savimbi studied the tactics that he later used so effectively in Angola. Later, when he sought help from Western countries, Jonash played down the importance of his stay in China. In particular, he said that he did not only learn from Mao and the Communists how to fight and win in a guerrilla war, but also how to manage the economy and the country, because the wealth of the nation is created by the initiative of individuals.
Mobilization
Upon his return to Angola, Jonas Savimbi began the mobilization of his tribe ovimbundu, as well as other allies. The government was besieged in its own country and was ostracized at the international level. On November 10, 1975, Portugal officially abandoned its control of this African state. A quick and sharp struggle for power followed, as a result of which the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola declared itself a new government. After the party’s protests, UNITA MPLA invited Cuban troops to the country and used Soviet weapons to maintain power. Soon, Jonas was forced to flee deep into Angola with only a few dozen followers.
There, he fought and called up a new army to fight Soviet domination, which replaced the Portuguese. With the help of weapons and instructors from South Africa, Savimbi organized a powerful and effective rebel force. From time to time, the Angolan government, with the help of the Cuban army and Soviet weapons, tried to destroy UNITA, but the partisans kept a large territory from which they attacked state institutions, railways and supply lines.
During the Cold War, Savimbi received assistance from China, South Africa and the United States of America, as opposed to the Marxist, Soviet-backed MPLA, which controlled the central government. UNITA continued to wage a disruptive guerrilla war against the MPLA throughout the 1970s and 80s.
Peace talks
In the spring of 1991, Savimbi troops exhausted the capital of Luanda, cutting power lines and intercepting supplies. In the end, the MPLA was forced to admit that its policies had indeed contributed to Angola's $ 20 billion debt and almost total lack of productivity. MPLA President Jose Eduardo dos Santos agreed to negotiations with Savimbi and UNITA, as well as to a package of reforms aimed at improving the economy. Peace agreements were signed on May 31, 1991, and hostilities soon ceased.
After that, Jonas Savimbi, supported by enthusiastic supporters, conducted a presidential campaign throughout Angola. He continued to promise that UNITA would introduce a market economy, regular free elections and private ownership of land and business. During a rally in the capital in September 1991, Savimbi said that the strength of his party is not only in its weapons, but also in its political presence.
Election loss
The Angolan war was stopped by a peace agreement with the government, which allowed for the holding of free multi-party national elections in 1992. After losing, Savimbi and UNITA resumed the armed struggle for control of the country, dominating most of the countryside. Negotiations were held again, leading to the 1994 Lusaka Agreement. Hostilities were to cease, and the forces were to be disarmed. Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos invited Savimbi to become one of the two vice presidents, and UNITA - participation in the government. Jonash subsequently rejected this proposal, and in 1997 he was officially appointed as the leader of the opposition. A year later, this post was liquidated. In 1996, Savimbi said that he would retain control of the lucrative diamond regions in northeastern Angola, although some of them were transferred to the government in 1998.
Death
The Cold War period was long over, and UNITA was experiencing funding problems. In September 1998, Savimbi faced opposition within the organization when a group calling itself UNITA-R suspended him and took over the leadership. From this moment, the party was divided into three factions. The Government of Angola and the Southern African Development Community have officially recognized UNITA-R. Nevertheless, in March 2001, Jonas Savimbi requested the resumption of negotiations and expressed his readiness to accept the terms of the Lusaka Agreement. While the government demanded a ceasefire as a condition to start new negotiations, Savimbi called on the Catholic Church to mediate the dispute. The fighting continued throughout 2001 and spread to the neighboring countries of Zambia and Namibia. Government forces continued to pursue Jonash and finally overtook him in the eastern province of Moshiko. Savimbi was ambushed and killed. After his death in April 2002, a peace agreement was signed between UNITA and the Angolan government.